Face of the Team, Last Four Decades

If you visit espn.com, you probably have seen their list of the "Faces of the Program" from each D-1 school. For Nebraska, it was a no-brainer: Tom Osborne was the clear choice. Given that T.O. was too easy of a pick, I've decided to jot down who I think are the Husker Faces of the Program (players only) for the decades of the 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s. Here we go:

1970s Face of the Cornhuskers: Johnny Rodgers -- This one is pretty easy. Johnny R. Superstar won NU's first Heisman Trophy and was a lethal weapon for Bob Devaney's offense. His incredible punt return against OU in the 1971 Game of the Century will always be one of the iconic moments in college football history. Honorable mention goes to Rich Glover, John Dutton, I.M. Hipp.

1980s Face of the Cornhuskers: Turner Gill -- This was the toughest choice. It isn't easy turning down 1983 Heisman Trophy winner Mike Rozier for this prestigious honor, but whereas Rozier was sickly talented, Gill was the leader of scoring explosion. Gill, the current coach of the Buffalo Bulls, was really the prototype QB for the Huskers' option system, and has continued to represent the program with character and integrity. Honorable mention goes to: Rozier, Dave Rimington, Dean Steinkuhler.

1990s Face of the Cornhuskers: Tommie Frazier -- This was another easy one. Through most of the 90s, the Huskers were overflowing with great talent. Still, Tommie was unquestionably the catalyst and the player most thought of when mentioning that golden era. Surprisingly, of the four decades in question, this is the only one without a Heisman winner. Of course, we all realize this was a joke, as no college football player was more deserving of the award during the 90s than Touchdown Tommie. Honorable mention: Grant Wistrom, Trev Alberts, Scott Frost, Ahman Green.

2000s Face of the Cornhuskers: Eric Crouch -- The new millennium obviously hasn't lived up to the previous three decades, but there were some good times closer to Y2K. That's back when Eric Crouch was using his speed and quickness to shred opposing defenses. Though Crouch didn't win a national championship ring like Frazier, Brook Berringer or Scott Frost, he did walk away with the Huskers third Heisman Trophy. Honorable mention: Toniu Fonoti, Zac Taylor, Maurice Purify, Barrett Ruud.

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